Magnetic valve-key tool



United States Patent MAGNETIC VALVE-KEY TOOL George L. Holtmeyer, Washington, Mo.

Application December 10, 1952, Serial No. 325,196

3 Claims. (Cl. 813) This invention relates to a simple magnetic tool for setting and removing the keys on the valve stems of internal combustion engines. Many tools have been designed for this operation, but they are usually tools of many parts and expensive to make and sell, and consequently have not gone into widespread use. The tool of this invention comprises a minimum of parts and is extremely simple and economical to make and assemble.

While principally designed for the purpose stated, it may serve equally well for other purposes, such as probing for, locating and picking up lost or inaccessible small parts having a magnetic attraction, in and around an automobile or elsewhere.

For a more comprehensive knowledge of the invention, reference is made to the following specification, in

connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tool.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a valve key.

The invention comprises a handle of non-magnetic material of suitable length. The thickness of the handle is slightly reduced at its end 11 and a hole 12 is drilled through this reduced portion. A flat jaw 13 of magnetic material is pivoted to the handle at this end, the jaw having a bifurcated bearing portion 14 which is suitably drilled to receive a pivot screw 15 which passes through the hole 12, the handle portion 11 being seated between the legs of the bifurcated portion 14. The screw is secured by a suitable lock washer 16 and nut 17.

It will be noted that the jaw 13 is offset laterally at 18 and has an extension 19 which is substantially a prolongation of the handle 10, the end of the jaw 20 being curved slightly in the direction of the handle. The side edges of the jaw are flanged slightly at 21, and seated between these flanges and resting on the oflset base 18, is a permanent magnet 22 of the Alnico type which is supported on the jaw by its own attraction. A detachable complementary jaw 13a, similar in all respects to the jaw 13 with the exception of the bifurcated portion, is supported on the magnet opposite the jaw 13. An insulating sleeve 23, which is removable, may be positioned over the jaws to eliminate incidental magnetic attraction to parts of the body or engine being worked upon. The open spread between the ends of the jaws 13, 13a is sufliciently large to permit passage of the jaws over the key retainers, without relative movement of the jaws, while positioned on a valve stem.

In use, after the valve spring has been compressed, and the retainers exposed, the jaws of the tool are passed over the key retainers while in position on the valve stem, and each one may be touched in turn with the tool, whereby each key is magnetically attracted to and held by the respective adjacent jaw, in which fashion it may 2,718,163 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 be removed. The angle of the jaws with respect to the handle may be adjusted by moving jaw 13 about the pivot 15. Since the jaw 13a is clamped to the magnet 22 by the magnetic attraction of the magnet, as well as by the sleeve 23, it will follow the direction of movement of the jaw 13.

At the opposite end of the tool handle, a recess 26 is formed in one edge thereof adjacent the end. Seated in this recess is a permanent magnet 24 of the Alnico type which has an arcuate recess 25 formed in the opposite side edges. The magnet is held in position in the recess 26 in the handle 10 by peening a portion of the metal of the handle at the recess over the magnet, or it may be secured in any other suitable manner. The arcuate recesses 25 of the magnet conform substantially in shape to the curvature of the outer surface of the valve key of the type shown in Figure 4.

This end of the tool may be used to re-set the valve key, and in use each key is placed in one of the recesses 25 with the outer surface of the key backed against the curved recess, where it is held by the attraction of the magnet. Each key may then, in turn, be placed in a proper position to seat it against the valve stem and it is released from the tool by a slight downward or upward twist thereof, which forces the magnetic portion 24 of the tool away from the key and brings the non-magnetic por tion 10 in contact with the key. The tool may now be removed without dislodging the key.

In some situations, it is possible that the keys may be replaced by reversing the operation of removal and after both keys are seated? against the valve stem, the valve spring is released and forces the tool away from the keys, or at least holds them sufiiciently so that the tool may be pulled away without dislodging them.

Changes in the construction and design of the tool may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for removing valve stem keys from valve stems comprising a handle of non-magnetic material, a jaw of magnetic material pivoted to said handle, the side edges of said jaw having flanges extending therefrom, a magnet seated between said flanges on said jaw, and a complementary jaw having similar flanges seated on said magnet opposite said first jaw.

2. A tool for removing valve stem keys from valve stems comprising a handle of non-magnetic material, a jaw of magnetic material carried by said handle, the side edges of said jaw having flanges extending therefrom, said flanges being substantially parallel to one another, said jaw having a bifurcated portion straddling the end of said handle and being pivoted thereto, a magnet seated on said jaw between said flanges and a complementary jaw seated on said magnet, substantially parallel to but spaced from said first jaw, said jaws being pivotable as a unit about said handle.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the magnet and a portion of the jaws are enclosed by an insulating sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,855 Phillips Aug. 9, 1910 1,587,647 Hood et al June 8, 1926 1,901,727 Borland Mar. 14, 1933 2,260,055 Reardon Oct. 21, 1941 2,550,775 Clark May 1, 1951 2,586,756 Wolfe et a1. Feb. 19, 1952 2,612,799 Gilbert Oct. 7, 1952 

